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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

The so-called "419" scam is a type of fraud dominated by criminals from Nigeria and other countries in Africa. Victims of the scam are promised a large amount of money, such as a lottery prize, inheritance, money sitting in some bank account, etc.

Victims never receive this non-existent fortune but are tricked into sending their money to the criminals, who remain anonymous. They hide their real identity and location by using fake names and fake postal addresses as well as communicating via anonymous free email accounts and mobile phones.

Keep in mind that scammers DO NOT use their real names when defrauding people.
The criminals either abuse names of real people or companies or invent names or addresses.
Any real people or companies mentioned below have NO CONNECTION to the scammers!

Read more about such scams here or in our 419 FAQ. Use the Scam-O-Matic to verify suspect emails.

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Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

Fraud email example:

From: "Mr. James Catoun" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <jamescatounn@she.com>
Date: Thu, 13 Jun 2013 17:20:59 -0000
Subject: Calvary Greetings-Beloved

Dear beloved friend,

I know that this letter may be a very big surprise to you, I am giving you my trust and wish you will give me back the trust i have given you . I believe that you will be honest to fulfill my final wish before I will die.

I am Mr. JAMES CATOUN , I am 58 years old, I am suffering from a long time cancer of the blood .From all indication my condition is really deteriorating, and my doctors have courageously advised me that I may not live beyond the next two months, this is because the cancer stage has reached a critical stage. I was brought up in a motherless babys home, and was married to my late wife for twenty years without a child . My wife and I are true Christians, but quite unfortunately, she died in a lobour room so i could not hear the cry of a child in my house Since her death I decided not to re-marry, I sold all my belongings and deposited all the sum of $10.2million dollars with a security company , as it was pakaged and registered as a personal Valuable.

Presently, this money is still in their custody, and the management just wrote me as the Legitimate beneficiary to come forward to receive the Deposit after keeping it for so long or rather issue a letter of authorization to somebody to receive it on my behalf since I can not come over as a result of my illness, Presently,I'm with my laptop in a hospital where I have been undergoing treatment. I have since lost my ability to walk about or do anything by myself and my doctors have told me that I have only a few months to live.

It is my last wish to see that this money is invested in any business of your choice and the gain made every year or 6 months as the case may be, distributed each year among the charity organization, the poor and the motherless babys home where I come from. I want your good humanitarian, to also use this money to fund churches, orphanages and widows around, 20% for you , I must let you know that this was a very hard decision, but I had to take a bold step towards this issue because I have no further option. I hope you will help see my last wishes come true.

As soon as I receive your reply I shall give you the contact of the security company. I will also issue you a letter of authority, which will prove that you are the new beneficiary of my funds. Please assure me that you will act accordingly as I stated herein.

Hope to hear from you soonest

Awaiting your reply

Yours Sincerely
Mr James Catoun

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